Saturday, December 29, 2012

First of all, I want to thank all the amazing readers who buy my books. Your continued support and enthusiasm for my work allows me to keep doing what I love to do. So thank you, thank you, thank you. I have the best job in the world and hope I can keep doing it for many years to come.

So lets hit the highlights of 2012...

February: I had two new eBooks--Fabric of Fate (a Tapestries book) released from Ellora's Cave and Quinn's Quest (a Legacy book) from Samhain Publishing.

April: Legacy Found came out in PRINT from Samhain Publishing and Eternal Brothers in PRINT from Ellora's Cave.

Also, in January, I have two new ebooks releasing--Stroke of Sapphire (an Awakening Desires book) on January 9th and Night of the Tiger (Book one in the Hades' Carnival series) on January 15th.

April 2013: On April 2nd, Finding Chrissten is relasing in PRINT! And on the 16th, Mark of the Bear (Book two in the Hades' Carnival series) is releasing in eBook.

September 2013: Damek's Redemption is releasing in PRINT!

That's all the dates I have confirmed at the moment, but expect two more eBooks in the Hades' Carnival series to be released--Pride of the Lion and Howl of the Wolf! As well, I've submitted a new Tapestries book to my editor at Ellora's Cave. More details on that as they become available.

I hope all of you are enjoying the holidays as much as I am. Here's to a healthy, creative, happy and prosperous New Year for us all!

Monday, December 24, 2012

FREE for the next two weeks from Ellora's Cave--Embracing Silence. If you haven't already tried it, now is the time to try the first book in this futuristic trilogy.

EMBRACING SILENCE

First in
the Project Alpha series.

Earth
2133

Tienan is an
Alpha—an assassin who has been genetically and computer enhanced. He has escaped
from the lab that created him and the Ruling Council that controlled him. He is
now outside the Gate—a high-tech shield that protects the enclosed city from the
contaminated and lawless land outside. Tienan must constantly evade security
forces sent to eliminate him, his only goal to destroy his former
masters.

Silence is a
tracker with the Resistance on the trail of a dangerous stranger. The hunter
becomes the hunted and when Tienan kidnaps her, she thinks her life is over. But
both captor and captive are enthralled with one another. Desire and need ignite
each time they touch. Enemies become lovers.

Treachery
and mistrust drive them apart. But nothing can diminish the sexual heat
smoldering between them. With enemies all around, they must confront each other
one final time. With time running out, sexual longing and trust battle with
betrayal for supremacy.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Please welcome Drea Layne to the blog today. Be sure to check out her new Christmas book Rudolf & Dancer.

Welcome Drea!

First I want to thank N.J. for having me on
her blog today!

Today I am visiting to share with you all
my new Christmas book, Rudolf & Dancer, which is part of the Reindeer Games
anthology between the Wickedly Sexy Writers. It was a complete pleasure working
with these ladies on these stories and I couldn't be more excited too show you
my little piece of this great set of stories!

Holiday traditions are
just as important as the holiday itself...at least in my opinion. Each family
has their own way of celebrating starting as early as the decorating and as
late as the days following. In my family we put the tree up the day after
thanksgiving and proceed to put up other decorations over the next week or so
in anticipation of Christmas Day.

This year I've put the
tree up but not much else. I do have tons of decorations to put up but I really
just haven't felt the want or need to put it all up. I suppose it may have
something to do with the hours it took me to take it down last year and
remembering the hassle of the tassel as I like to say.

After
years away from home, her brother’s freak accident brings Donna Dancer home to
the man who broke her heart. Time hasn’t diminished the lust and love, and
emotions can’t be denied. Donna is sick of playing reindeer games with her
mate, Paul Rudolf, but there are only so many rejections a girl can take.

It
takes a dedicated man to lead the group of reindeer shifters responsible for
bringing joy to millions of children, and Paul takes his job very seriously.
Women were nothing more than a distraction he doesn’t need, but he now finds
himself feeling lonely and hating the job he’s loved for so long. Rejecting
Donna was the one decision he regrets more and more with each passing day.

Will
this Christmas be as lonely as the rest? Or will Paul and Donna finally find
holiday bliss in each others arms.

Excerpt:

“You’ve been gone an awfully long time,
sweet pea. We honestly didn’t know if you would say yes.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy. I just…”

“I know, honey. Just don’t go away that
long ever again. Okay?”

“I promise.”

Donna
looked around, searching from one face to another, trying to keep her gaze
casual as she scanned the crowd for the only other man she desperately wanted
to see.

One
face blurred into another as she took the crowd in at a slow pace. After a few
minutes of searching, she almost gave up. Then, she locked gazes with the one
man who held her heart. The world shifted, causing her to stand uneasy on her
feet. An overwhelming need to shift and run took over her body as she dropped
her gaze from his eyes and handed her bag to her mother, giving her an ‘I need
to get away’ look.

Without
another word, she turned her back to the crowd and sprinted toward the woods
behind the house. Her deer half wanted to run as much as her human half did,
and just like every other time she was in her mate’s presence, she lost complete
control and could only give in to what her body and soul needed.

Ditching
her dress on a limb just outside the tree line, Donna let the change come over
her swiftly. Muscles burned and bones reshaped as Donna went from human to
deer. When the transformation was complete and she was standing at the forest’s
edge, Donna opened her eyes and took in the cabin and people as they milled
around. Kids played with each other at the waters edge while parents watched
closely from where they visited, not far away.

Once
upon a time, she envisioned herself doing that very thing with children of her
very own. Without a mate, that future was impossible and it tore her up inside,
knowing she wouldn’t ever have that happiness.

With
one last look at the party, she turned and sprinted through the forest. She
didn’t know where she was going but anywhere was better than here right now.
The pain in her heart was almost too much to bear. But in the end, she loved
Paul with her entire being, and if he’d have her, she would gladly forget all
the heartbreak and spend forever in his arms.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

I'm over at Sizzling Hot Books
today as part of their Sizzling Christmas celebration. Stop by and check out my interview. Leave a comment for a chance to win a PDF copy of my EC Christmas Quickie Jessamyn's Christmas Gift.

This week the Tuesday Teaser is from Jessamyn's Christmas Gift. This Ellora's Cave Quickie is perfect for heating up your holiday season.

TEASER:

No sooner had she thought it than she heard
the sound of a car turning into the driveway. Taking a deep breath, she placed
her glass on the coffee table and draped herself in what she hoped was a
seductive pose, across the plush faux fur rug that she’d spread in front of the
fireplace. The scraping of a key in the lock made her catch her breath. Boots
stamped in the front porch before proceeding down the hallway.

Gathering her courage, Jessamyn cleared her
throat. “I’m in here. Come and get your Christmas present.”

The footsteps stopped at the sound of her
voice and then she heard them moving closer. Her eyes were glued on the
entranceway, which was surrounded by greenery and white twinkling lights. He
moved into the light and every cell of her body went on alert.

Her gaze moved slowly upward, over a pair
of faded jeans that molded to strong legs. A blue flannel shirt was tucked in,
emphasizing a lean waist. His shoulders were wide, straining at the seams of
his shirt as he fisted his hands at his waist. Hair the color of mahogany fell
carelessly across his forehead. His face wasn’t handsome, so much as strong.
His nose was prominent, his lips thin, and his jaw was shadowed with stubble.

But it was his eyes that pinned her to the
spot. Amber, they seemed to glow as they watched her. The eyes of a predator.
He was a prime male standing in front of her, studying her almost-naked form.

Her nipples tightened, pushing against the
thin fabric and Jessamyn knew he could see them in the firelight when his eyes
lingered there. She moved her legs restlessly as the ache between her thighs
grew. Cream flowed, dampening the thin piece of satin between her legs. Every
hair on her body was standing on end as her entire being clamored its need for
this man.

Friday, December 14, 2012

The third winner in my Christmas Quickie Contest is Brandi Bradford. Brandi has won a PDF copy of my EC Quickie Jessamyn's Christmas Gift. Congratulations, Brandi!

There is still one more books to be given away so be sure to enter! See details below.

QUICKIE CONTEST!

We're all so busy this time of year. There are halls to be decked, food to be prepared and presents to buy. Then there are all the social obligations, Christmas pageants and the like to schedule in. There's not much time for reading.
But there's always time for a Quickie.

No, not that kind of quickie. (Although that's not a bad idea either.) But a quick read. Something you can pick up and read in one sitting while you're relaxing after a hard day of work or shopping.

I want to help you out this holiday season, so I'm giving away a PDF download of one of my Ellora’s Cave Quickies each Friday between November 30th and December 21st.

Just go to my website and click on the “Contests” page for details on how you can enter for a chance to win.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Today is a very special day on the calender. It is December 12, 2012 or 12/12/12. The next time this will happen is 88 years from now on January 1, 2101 or 01/01/01. Some people believe today is a very lucky day. Whatever you believe, I hope you enjoy it!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

“Adam.”
There was an edge to Rob’s voice now. Adam knew his friend too well to think he
was going to drop whatever was on his mind.

“Where’s Shayla?” He desperately tried to divert the conversation. It was
strange he hadn’t seen her. She must be out somewhere, but he couldn’t imagine
where she’d be. Not at eight o’clock in the evening on Christmas Eve.

When Rob didn’t answer, Adam finally turned his face toward him. His friend’s
expression was more serious than he’d ever seen it. Shit. He picked up his
glass and gulped down the rest. A waste of good scotch, for sure, but he needed
the hit. Not that one drink would have much affect on him, but it was better
than nothing. He needed something to dull the coming pain.

“I’ve seen how you look at me,” Rob began.

Adam closed his eyes and swallowed hard. The liquor he’d just drunk burned in
his gut. He could still salvage this. He had to. The alternative didn’t bear
considering.

He opened his eyes and chuckled. “Of course I look at you. I see you all the
time.” There, that sounded casual enough.

Monday, December 10, 2012

After a few days away from writing, I'm back at work this morning on a new project. This is supposed to be a novella, but we'll see how that goes. My books have a tendency to grow as I work on them. *g* This is going to be a hot, menage a trois, western novella...hopefully.

Sunday, December 09, 2012

It's been 30 years. There are some days when it feels like much longer and other days when it feels as though it was only yesterday. On December 9th, 1982 my father lost his three year battle with leukemia and passed at about 9:30 in the morning. My mother, sister, brother and I were all there when it happened, and I'll always be grateful for that.

I feel very blessed to have had my father in my life for the eighteen years I had with him considering he was almost killed in a car accident when I was only a baby. He was in a coma for several days before he came out of it. The driver of the car he was a passenger in was killed so it could have been much worse. Sometimes it felt as though he was on borrowed time.

I was just a month shy of my fifteenth birthday when he was diagnosed with cancer. It was Halloween night and I'd gotten back from taking my five-year-old brother out trick-or-treating to find my mother on the phone. My father had to travel to a hospital about a four hour drive away and was calling from there. I often wonder how he felt with his family so far away.

The doctors gave him six months to live, but he fought and had three more years with us. He passed just two weeks after I turned eighteen. He was forty-five.

I'm older now then my father was when he died and I still feel young. It's weird to realize I've been married longer than my parents were. (They celebrated 21 years the year he died while hubby and I celebrated our 25th last August.) My mother remarried nine years after my father died. It's really strange to realize my step father has been in my life longer than my father was.

My father died young, but he will always be in my heart. I've already talked to my brother and sister today and will call my mom later. It's been thirty years, but I still miss him every single day.

The second winner in my Christmas Quickie Contest is Stephanie Paul. Stephanie has won a PDF copy of my EC Quickie Drakon's Treasure. Congratulations, Stephanie!

There are still two more books to be given away so be sure to enter! See details below.

QUICKIE CONTEST!

We're all so busy this time of year. There are halls to be decked, food to be prepared and presents to buy. Then there are all the social obligations, Christmas pageants and the like to schedule in. There's not much time for reading.
But there's always time for a Quickie.

No, not that kind of quickie. (Although that's not a bad idea either.) But a quick read. Something you can pick up and read in one sitting while you're relaxing after a hard day of work or shopping.

I want to help you out this holiday season, so I'm giving away a PDF download of one of my Ellora’s Cave Quickies each Friday between November 30th and December 21st.

Just go to my website and click on the “Contests” page for details on how you can enter for a chance to win.

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Hubby and I put up the tree this past weekend. I tried to get all of it in the shot. I'll try for some better shots another time. The topper is made from ribbons and I love the popcorn/cranberry strings. The popcorn makes the room smell yummy.

This is a shot of part of the greenery that goes all around the archway between the living room and kitchen. There are more Care Bear ornaments. I made them back in the 1980's.

Sunday, December 02, 2012

The December 2012/January 2013 issue of Awakening Desires—the Newsletter of Romance Author N.J. Walters—is now available.

Be sure to check out all the latest news, contests, my husband’s popular column—Confessions of a Romance Author’s Husband—an excerpt, and this month’s interview with Jayne Rylon.

As always, some lucky newsletter subscriber wins a prize. All you have to do to be eligible to win is go to Awakening Desires Newsletter and join. While you’re there, you can check out back issues of the newsletter.